Vegetable Rice with Coconut and Sesame Powder

Recently I wanted to try a variety rice dish. This is actually a specialty of my sister, for whom I am a greatest fan. It’s really simple to make and tastes excellent. Easy to prepare as well. This can be made adding grated coconut or without it. Any ways, the taste is good. If coconut is added, the taste is slightly less spicy and without coconut, this will be a bit spicy. You may add ghee if you prefer.Ingredients:Rice – 2 cupCut Vegetables (1 Potato, 1 Carrot, 4-5beans, 1 Capsicum)Salt – To TasteCashews – 5-6(Optional)Ghee – 1 Tb Spoon(Optional)For Spice powder of Sesame and Coconut:White Sesame seeds – ¼cupFresh grated coconut – 3tbsp (optional, but highly recommended)Urad dal (Minapappu) – 3tbspDry red chilies – 6-8Salt – to tasteFor Seasoning:Mustard seeds – 1tspCumin Seeds – 1 Tb SpoonCurry Leaves – fewMethod of Preparation1. Heat a pan and dry fry the Sesame seeds without oil. Care shall be taken here as the seeds need to keep moving. Take off the heat and keep aside for cooling2. Dry fry the grated coconut also (Just till the moisture of the coconut if gone)3. Heat the Dry Chilies in one Tb spoon of Oil along with the Urad Dal4. After all the above three are cooled, grind them all together to make a fine powder5. Cook the 2 cups of rice in the rice cooker ( care shall be taken to see rice is not pasted. The grains shall be separated. 6. Keep aside until room temperature7. Heat the pan with one table spoon of oil. Now, add the diced bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes to fry. Close the lid of the pan and let the vegetables cook for 6-7 minutes on medium heat.8. Take the veggies off the heat and keep aside.9. Add the rice to the fried vegetables, along with 3 Spoons of the spice powder made above and Mix well. This can also be done on a very slow flame.10. Make seasoning by adding the mustard and cumin seeds in oil. Once they start to splutter, add to the rice.11. This dish tastes very good even without a side dish. or any chutney will be of great use.